4.0 What is "Time Management"?
Time management is often understood as managing our time therein filled with tasks. Abu Productive uttered the opposition where he said:
"You can't manage your time. What you can manage is your life." - Abu Productive
True as it sounds for time is an uncontrolled intangible matter to us - servants of Allah Azza wa Jal (Majestic and Sublime is He) - human beings. A controllable matter within our decree though is managing tasks in our daily life. How to manage our countless tasks be it in our working life, marriage, assisting others, time for own-self, and the list goes on. Here, we will look into the matrix of managing our tasks effectively.
4.1 Time Management - Priority Versus Attention
Subhanallah, did we know that the matrix of time management correlates in the relationship between importance versus urgency? Important tasks require high level of attention, whereas urgent tasks require high level of time. Allahhu'akbar, identifying these two resources - attention and time - are both vital in managing our infinite tasks daily.
4.1.1 Important
Important, as exactly as it sounds brings forth the tasks which require high level of attention but need not be completed in a short period of time. A simple instance would be, taking account of our daily routine, consuming foods and drinks. Foods and drinks are important to us for they provide us the level of energy and hydration for us to stay proactive, but the time spent to consume them per meal is insignificant. Another example would be a two-week period assignment, in the shoes of a student or even a white/ blue collar labour, where the assignment needs to be submitted to the top management yet at the same time provides us the luxury of time for its completion.
4.1.2 Urgent
Urgent, as exactly as it sounds brings forth the tasks which require high priority but needless to be given much attention. Taking the profession of a white collar worker into account, he/ she is given a simple task by his/ her higher personnel. Thus, she needs to submit the task assigned to the higher personnel ASAP regardless of the gravity of the task - i.e. photostatting documents.
4.1.3 Important and Urgent
This area of blended importance and urgency into a task requires high level of both attention and priority. For example a company is being audited annually, the staffs need to prioritize the inquires arose given by the auditors to the staffs. The process in auditing is both important and urgent because both parties - the auditor and the audited - have their set period of time and the result of the audit is highly significant. That example is from the view of workplace. In discussing a daily matter, be it the life of a married couple as instance, a husband needs to urgently abandon all tasks at hand when the wife is in due given her state of maternity.
4.1.4 Leisure
A question may arise to us: Why is leisure included into time management? Leisure, in definition, is a time for relaxation. Abu Productive uttered in the Productive Muslim Seminar 2013 during the slot of Focus Management:
Regardless of all four aspects discussed, these dependent factors in time management matrix may vary basing on our personal perspective be it positivity or negativity.
I hope this topic has benefited you as much as it has benefited me, insha'Allah. The continuance of this topic will be posted in the near future, insha'Allah.
Important, as exactly as it sounds brings forth the tasks which require high level of attention but need not be completed in a short period of time. A simple instance would be, taking account of our daily routine, consuming foods and drinks. Foods and drinks are important to us for they provide us the level of energy and hydration for us to stay proactive, but the time spent to consume them per meal is insignificant. Another example would be a two-week period assignment, in the shoes of a student or even a white/ blue collar labour, where the assignment needs to be submitted to the top management yet at the same time provides us the luxury of time for its completion.
4.1.2 Urgent
Urgent, as exactly as it sounds brings forth the tasks which require high priority but needless to be given much attention. Taking the profession of a white collar worker into account, he/ she is given a simple task by his/ her higher personnel. Thus, she needs to submit the task assigned to the higher personnel ASAP regardless of the gravity of the task - i.e. photostatting documents.
4.1.3 Important and Urgent
This area of blended importance and urgency into a task requires high level of both attention and priority. For example a company is being audited annually, the staffs need to prioritize the inquires arose given by the auditors to the staffs. The process in auditing is both important and urgent because both parties - the auditor and the audited - have their set period of time and the result of the audit is highly significant. That example is from the view of workplace. In discussing a daily matter, be it the life of a married couple as instance, a husband needs to urgently abandon all tasks at hand when the wife is in due given her state of maternity.
4.1.4 Leisure
A question may arise to us: Why is leisure included into time management? Leisure, in definition, is a time for relaxation. Abu Productive uttered in the Productive Muslim Seminar 2013 during the slot of Focus Management:
"...work for 25 minutes and take a break for 5 minutes..." - Abu ProductiveThe point here is to not over-exert ourselves. Over-exerting will only deplete our resource of energy, wherein energy is one of the three roots - focus, energy and time - in practicing a productive lifestyle. Disregarding the element of leisure would diminish our productivity level, henceforth one should take this element into account. Activity in leisure hours may be as simple as watching a soccer match with family members or even exercising individually at a park. The mentioned instances are in the view of non-working days, whereby in the account of working days one may take a short walk throughout the office or even listen to a track of soothing music.
Regardless of all four aspects discussed, these dependent factors in time management matrix may vary basing on our personal perspective be it positivity or negativity.
I hope this topic has benefited you as much as it has benefited me, insha'Allah. The continuance of this topic will be posted in the near future, insha'Allah.
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